Governance and Public Policy Challenges in Managing Disruptive and Innovative Technologies

This chapter is an effort to promote and guide thinking about the global and local challenges in how governments respond to innovative and disruptive projects and technologies. The chapter is based on the considerations of and concerns regarding the challenges and changes that we face on a global scale and how it impacts on the notion and need for innovation. Not all inventions or innovations are disruptive or serve the interest of the public at large, and some even may have serious harmful consequences or impacts. These may be unforeseen or sometimes deliberately obscured and perhaps just serve the narrow interests of profiteers. Governments are required to consider their roles and plan to be responsible and proactive to ensure that the best interests of both the business and public sector are pursued for the purposes of long-term sustainability.